Kara Spencer, a junior who is chief of staff of Associated Students of Michigan State University, received an official warning from the university’s student-faculty judiciary late last fall after sending about 390 professors an e-mail message seeking their opinions on a university decision to change the academic calendar. The university concluded that Ms. Spencer had violated a policy regarding bulk e-mail which prohibits messages from being sent to more than 30 people. Ms. Spencer argued that the policy was being selectively enforced in violation of her speech rights. The university’s complaint against her says she refused to comply with the policy and demanded that charges be filed against her.

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